Who Should I Start? Dee Eskridge or Tez Johnson

Sunday, August 17, 7:35 AM

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Dee Eskridge stepped up on Saturday with three catches for 53 yards and a touchdown on six targets in Miami's 24-17 win over the Lions. Eskridge scored the Dolphins' only touchdown of the first half on an 11-yard pass from Zach Wilson. The second-round pick from Western Michigan was playing close to home and got off to a rough start by fumbling his first punt return, but he bounced back and drew praise from coach Mike McDaniel for his ability to bounce back and put together a strong performance. Last year, Eskridge started the year on Miami's practice squad and only had three receptions for 44 yards in six games. His special team abilities seem to have him on an inside track to earn a spot on the roster out of camp this season, and he could be the team's fifth receiver behind Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and Malik Washington, who all sat out Saturday's preseason contest, giving Eskridge and rookie Theo Wease Jr. chances to step up and post big games.

Tuesday, October 14, 10:32 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson seems to be trending towards a potential breakout game against the Lions in Week 7, since the Bucs will likely need him to take on a larger load due to injuries at the position. Mike Evans (hamstring), Emeka Egbuka (hamstring), and Chris Godwin Jr. (fibula) are all uncertain this week and likely to be limited if available. Johnson could be the next man up for the Bucs and offers a ton of upside as a big-play specialist against the Lions, when the Bucs will need big plays to keep up with the high-scoring Detroit offense in the Motor City. Johnson had just one catch for a 45-yard touchdown in Week 6 after snagging four catches for 59 yards in Week 5 in Seattle. His speed and after-the-catch elusiveness give the seventh-round rookie a very high ceiling, although he has never carried the workload of a WR1 this season. He's high-risk but also potentially brings high reward from this week's waiver wire.